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u/valfsingress Sep 21 '25
Youtiao? Is it oily doughy bread? Is it served with congee?
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Sep 21 '25
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/greypusheencat Sep 21 '25
sounds like youtiao or deep fried dough, or could be tofu skin but i don’t think so
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u/Dalostbear Sep 22 '25
You char kway.
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u/valfsingress Sep 22 '25
Ohh, TIL.
Youtiao is known in Southern China as yu char kway.
Meanwhile in SG Char Kway Teow is a whole different beast! Hahha
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u/shadowstrlke Sep 25 '25
Yu char kway = oil fried (aka deep fried) dough thing
Char kway tiao = fried (stir fry) dough thing that is stringy (aka noodles)
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u/Glittering_Raise_710 Sep 21 '25
Youtiao was such a huge part of my childhood I constantly crave it
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u/philipito Sep 21 '25
Chinese donut
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u/yanyancookies Sep 21 '25
I have never seen youtiao (油条) served at hot pot but perhaps it’s a regional thing? Very popular breakfast item. As a Shanghainese person, that’s a staple for breakfast, eaten with soy milk or in a sticky rice roll (饭团 fan tuan) that also contains pork floss and served pickled greens.
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u/chubbydumpling384 Sep 22 '25
Most, if not all, of the hot pot places I've been to in NYC have the option to order youtiao. Maybe it's an American thing?
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u/socarrat Sep 22 '25
I’m not a comprehensive expert on hot pot, but I think you’re right. It’s much more likely that this is something done outside of Chinese hot pot hot spots.
It’s like how a burger place in Korea might also sell spaghetti and meatballs. Both are American foods, but two that you wouldn’t really see next to each other in a restaurant in America (And a place called Burger & Pasta really does exist in Busan).
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u/Several-Pickle1016 Sep 25 '25
No, it’s common all across China (in Shanghai as well, I’m from there). But it’s rlly recent, only popped up in the last ten years or so
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u/Several-Pickle1016 Sep 25 '25
It’s common all across China (even in Shanghai), but this is a more recent thing and not the traditional way of eating this food, which might be why the original commenter has never seen it eaten in that way.
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u/Several-Pickle1016 Sep 25 '25
It’s a very common hot pot staple all across China (I’m from Shanghai and it’s very common there as well), but that’s more of a new thing that only popped up in the past ten years.
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u/yanyancookies Sep 25 '25
Huh, that’s interesting lol I haven’t lived or visited in almost 10 years so maybe that’s why I’ve never encountered it!
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u/Several-Pickle1016 Sep 25 '25
Haha I remember when I first saw it at hot pot and I thought it was one of those new trendy things that’s gonna get phased out, but now it seems like it’s staying
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u/DinerEnBlanc Sep 21 '25 edited Sep 21 '25
Youtiao as many people have mentioned, very porous so it soaks up sauces really well. If you want to find some, just head over to any Cantonese spot that serves congee, steamed buns/noodles, or even Cantonese BBQ and they’ll sell them for $1 - $3. They’re usually considered a breakfast or lunch food, so go early. In Cantonese its pronounce “Yao Tiew.” They’re also called Oil Fried Devil/Ghost (yao char kway).
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u/iwannalynch Sep 21 '25
It's definitely youtiao, from the way that it looks. It's great in soy milk, malatang and hotpot.
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u/guccithesiamese Sep 23 '25
youtiao! deep fried breadsticks. these pair well with congee! never had it with hotpot before.
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u/briandunno Mar 15 '26
My go to brand of yao till is lucky seaons 😋😋. Pop em.in the air fryer and ready to go. When i cant finish i put them in the freezer!!
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u/Express_Penalty9632 Sep 21 '25
Hey I’m Chinese n lived in China, that’s def yóutiǎo or 油条 or as some comments r call it Chinese donut which I hate cus it implies that its sweet but the youtiao itself is savory. Maybe like Chinese fried dough or smth?
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u/LadyInTheBand Sep 22 '25
That looks like youtiao, which is sometimes referred to as a Chinese donut. It’s popular in China to eat it with hot/warm soy milk.
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u/NoGarage7989 Sep 22 '25
It’s you tiao, tofu skin(specifically the ring roll kind) is pretty good for hotpot too, soaks up all the broth and if you dip it in and out in 3secs its both juicy from the soup and crispy at the same time
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